Blank feeding mechanism for punch presses



1 May 12, 1931. w. KOWAL 1,805,336

BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PUNCH PRESSES Filed Aug. 14, 1 929 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. h/a/fer- /(0WQZ.

M A TTORN YS.

May 12, 1931. w. KOWAL BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PUNCH PRESSES Filed Aug. 14, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. M/a ZZer' Kan/a].

A TTORNEYS.

w. KOWAL 1,805,336

BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PUNCH PRESSES 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 12, 1931.

Filed Aug. 14, 1929 A 1 /42/2 62" Kan/Q2.

\ BY W% I ATTORNEYS.

May 12, 1931. w. KOWAL 1,805,336

BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PUNCH PRESSES Filed Aug. 14, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 7 We fie)" A OWAZ.

ATTORNE PW By y 1931. w. KOWAL BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PUNCH PRESSES Filed Aug. 14, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 R m m 0 m VK m m mT m A I; M 2 a W Y B May 12, 1931. w, KOWAL BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PUNCH PRESSES 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Aug. 14, 1929 INVENTOR. Wu Her (om/a BY A TTORNEYS.

Patented May 12, 19331 assen PATENT @FFEQE VTElL'IER BOX/VAL, 0 NEW] YORK, H. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 PHOENIX-HERMETIC COMPAHY;

0F GHECAGQ, ILLENGES, A CORPORATION OF NEX YORK BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM 30B PUNCH PRESSES Application filed August 14, 1929.

The invention relates to new and usetul improvements in a machine for forming bottle caps and more particularly to a feeding :neehanism for feeding the blanks one at a from a stack to the punch which cuts and initially shapes the bottle cap.

An object of the invention is to provide a teediig mechanism wherein the blanks mav -e stacked one on another and forcibly fed one at a time from the bottom of the stack without any danger of more than one blank being drawn from the stack at the same time.

A further object of the invention is to prov de a feeding mec'hanismot the above type Lin the blank being drawn from the stack is flexed or bent so as to insure the breaking of the suction hold of the lower most blank on the blank next above and the removal of the lowermost blank only.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a feeding mechanism for feeding circular blanks wherein the stack of blanks is supported by spaced members having inclined grooves on their faces which contact with the edge portions of the blanks and insure the separation of the blanks so that one blank only is fed from the stack at a time.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for receiving the blank when it is removed from the stack and for positively feeding the blank by a step by step move ment to the cutting and shaping punch.

These and other objects will in part be oblous and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings Fig. l is a side view of a machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top view in the direction oi the arrow in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

. Fig. 4- is a plan view on the line 4 l of Fig.3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the blanks in the machine and being fed forward to the forming punch.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Serial No. 385,947.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

F 8 is a view partly in perspective and partly in section of a portion of the supporting bed and showing the feeding members "for moving the blanks.

Fig; 9 is a bottom plan view of the stack holder.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line 1010 ig. 9.

11 is a detail showing the lower end of one of the holding dogs and a blank pasing the same.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of the needle blanks from which the cap is cut and formed.

Fig. 13 is a similar view showing the blank after the metal to form the cap is out therefrom.

Fig. 14 is a View showing the initial formation of the cap.

The invention is directed to a machine for forming bottle caps and more particularly to the means for feeding the blanks to the press which cuts the blank and shapes the metal for the initial step in the formation of the cap. Bottle caps are relatively small as compared with jar closures and may be made from the scrap discs which are cut from the metal in the forming of a closing band or a closing ring used in connection with a jar closme. It is diiiicult, however, to handle the-.e circular blanks in the presenting of the same to a machine which cuts and forms a cap therefrom.

The present invention has particularly to do with the stocking and feeding of these circular blanks to a press for cutting and shaping the blank. The discs are placed in a stack holder which is provided with a seriesoi yielding holding dogs or members which sustain the stack and permit the discs to be removed one at a time from the lower end of the stack past said holding dogs or members. There are a series of these holding dogs which support the stacked blanks. The stacked blanks are placed in a stack holder having cylindrical base portion and the holding dogs are mounted on this cylindrical base portion. The holding dogs are so positioned that the lower ends thereof project inside of the inner face of the open ing in the base through which the stacked blanks pass. The inner face of each dog is also provided with threads or grooves which extend across the end of the dog at an inclination to the plane of the blank which is supported by the dogs.

The dogs are preferably arranged in groups of three and the grooves or threads in the three dogs are in alignment. Thus it is that the thread formed in the face of the holding dogs has a high point at one of the group of dogs. T her are three groups of dogs so that there are three points of support which first make contact with the blank. The blank is removed from the stack by a vacuum cup which engages the blank on the under face thereof and forcibly draws it from the stack. This forcible drawing of the disc past the supporting threads on the holding dogs causes the blank to be flexed so as to break any suction hold of the lowerniost blank on the blank next above and it also separates the blanks and insures that only one blank will be ithdrawn from tlw stack at a time. The blank is placed by the suction cup onto the feed table and is moved along the feed table to the punch by a reciprocating feed slide whic'i is provided with a series of yielding feed lingers which positively move the blank step by step to the cap forming machine.

Referring more in detail to the drawii the invention is shown as ap 'ilied to a cap forming machine which includes a supporting base 1 carrying an upper frame work in which are mounted cap 'fiiljlili devl These cap forming devices consist of a form.- ing die 3 and a punch l. The fori and punch are of the usual. well lino. which operate to cut the metal from a l to form at ca p and to bend the c hjc pi s of the out part to form a hat 1pm! Elwinber which is the initial step in the tor-min of the cap.

In Fig. 12 of the drawing; a i blank is shown which is the waste metal cut in the formi of a ring or band used in connection with a jar closure. he cap to be formed is shown in Fig. 1-1 an d 6011b; Ls of a top portion 6 and a flange T. The flange 7 is substantially at right angles to the top portion 6. The metal of the blank is ii: out along the circular line 8 and thus p oduces a metal portion which may be shag it into the cap. Th s portion of metal when the edge is bent at right angles the initial step in the forming of the bottle cap. The niet l blanks are. stacked one on another and placed in a stack holder consisting of a base portion 9 which has a cylindrical opening 10 therethrough. The extreme lower portion 11 of the base portion 9 inclines inwardly slightly toward the lower end. The stack 'ircular inc-tail holder also includes a supporting member 12 with a cut away portion 13 which facilitates the placing of the circular blanks 1n the stack holder. The stack holder is placed above the bed 1 zarried by a brackc which is attacl ed to the upper frame member of the press. The bed 14 is provided with a depending sleeve 15 in which is mounted a plunger 16 arrying a suction cup 17 at its upper end. The plunger 16 is mounted to slide freely in the sleeve 15 and the longitudinal axis of the plunger is in alignment with the longitudinal center of the stack holder. The plunger is reciprocated by means of a link 18 which is pivoted to a lever 19. The lever 19 in turn is mounted for oscillation on a supporting shaft 20 and is oscillated by means of a roller 21 running in a cam groove 22 in a disc carried by the shaft 2d. The shaft 24: carries a sprocket wheel 25 nd a sprocket chain 26 runs over this sprocket wheel and over a sprocket wheel 27 carried by the shaft 8. The shaft 28 is attached to a belt wheel 29 driven by a belt 80.

It the shaft which 'reciprocates the punch of the press, and th us it that the shaft is driven in til-nine with the shaft which narrates the pun ch. The plunger 16 is given one reciprocation for each reciprocation of tne punch.

The sleeve 15 is provided with an opening #:l. to which is connected a pipe 32.. The pipe 32 leads to a vacuum pump 33 having a piston connected by mca V s of a link 35 to a crank 36 carr ed by the s lam; As the shaft 28 rotates it will reciprocate the piston S 1 and will create a menu '1 within the pump which will produce a cuum pull in the pipe 2-32. Inasmuch as this vacuum pump is operated by the shaft 23 it will likewise be operated in timing with the operations of the plun r 16. The plunger 16 has a central opening El? therein. Pi port 258 extends from the central opening to the outer face of the sleeve l at times this port 238 registers with the opening 31. 'lhere is also a port 39 which ti inns registers with the opening -10 leading through the sleeve 15 to 'he atmosphere. llheu the plunger is raised so as to bring the suction cup into contact with the lowermost blan.- in the stack hold r the port 38 will the opening 31 after the cup is into contact with the blank, and this will create a suction so as to cause the suction cu to firmly grip the lmverznoi-at blank in the tr-u /Jhen the phmger starts down the port 38 moves iv-ray from the opening 31 but remains closed and the blank is, therefore, gripped by the suction prodnced in the cup.

lVhen the port 89 reaches the opening 10 the suction will be released anl this opening 40 is so positioned that the suction is released so as to release the blank just as the cup passes beneath the bed 1 1. This will lay the blank ice on: the bed ready for the operation of the feeding mechanism thereof.

Associatedwith the stack holder are a series of holding and supportin dogs. There are I three groups of these holding dogs and the holding dogs in each group are indicated at 41, 42 and Each holding dog has a rounded face projecting rib 44 which is adapted to seat in a recess 45 which is shaped to conform thereto. These dogs have their inner faces also shaped to conform to the outer face 46 of the supporting base 9. An endless coil spring band 47 encircles the upper ends of the dogs and is seated in a recess formed in the dogs. An endless coil spring band 48 encircles the dogs adjacent the lower end of the base 9 and is seated in arecess in the dogs. These coil springs hold the dogs yieldingly pressed against the faces 46 of the base of the stack holder. Each dog is provided with a series of projecting ll-shaped threads 49. The three dogs in a group are preferably threaded at the same time so that the threads are in alignment and this will produce a high point in each group on which the lowermost blank of the stack first rests. These three high points of support are indicated at a, Z) and in Fig. 12 of the drawings.

It will be apparent that when the suction cup engages the blank and pulls the blank past these points of support there will be a certain flexing of the blank which will insure a breaking of the suction hold of the lower mostblank on the next adjacent blank. The

pulling of the blanks by these threaded ends of the dogs will also tend to separate the blanks and insure that one blank only will be pulled at a time from the stack. The suction cuppulls the blank'from the stack and places the same on the supporting bed 14.

The sup 'x-or'ting bed. as clearly'shown in Figs. 7 andS, is provided with inclined'fac-es Mounted on the bed and movable thereon in a lengthwise direction of the bed is a feed slide consisting of side members 53.. fl which are joined by means of cross plates 52 and these side members are provided with recesses shaped to conform to the inclin-ed faces of the bed 14.. Thus it is that the feed slide is suspended on the bed and is free to move back and forth thereon. The feed slide is reciprocated by means of a link which is pivoted at 58 to the feed slide. This link is connected to the upper end of a lever which is mounted for free oscillation on a shaft 55. At the lower end of the lever is a roller stud 56 which runs in a cam groove indicated in dotted lines at 57 in Fig. 3 of the drawings. As the shaft 24 rotates it will reciprocate the feed slide back and forth.

The feed slide is provided with bars 58. 58. Plates 59, 59 overlie these bars 58 and are provided with inclined faces (0, 60 which serve to guide the discs and insure the proper placing of the same on the bed l l. The bed 14 has a recess 61 along the inner faces of the bars 58, 58. Feed fingers 62 are mounted on the shafts 63 which in turn are mounted in the feed slides. A spring 64 associated with each' shaft 63 normally tends to turn these lingers so as to move the outer free ends thereof downwardly. The lingers will run in the groove 61. The bar 58 is also provided with a rigid projecting bracket- 65. The feed slide is so timed and the bracket 65 so positioned tha 1 when the disc is moved downward onto the bed 14 it will pass the bracket 65. hen the feed slide moves forward toward the punch the bracket engaging the disc will move the disc along with the feed slide. The disc as received from the stack is received in the position indicated at 50 in Fig. 8 of the drawings. hen the teen slides moves forward it will move the disc to the position so. The feed slide is then retracted and as it is retracted'the feed fingers 62 pass over the disc and drop in thereof so that when the feed slide is again moved forward the disc will be carried forward to the pos tion o As soon as the disc is moved from a posi tion directly underneath the stack holder it is moved underneath a yielding presser foot (36. The pre. foot 66 is carried by a bracket (57 lllOtlHtQfl'OZl a bar 68 which in turn is mounted on the frame of the machine. The presser foot is provided with a series of posts which pass through suitable openings in he bracket 67. A sorin 70 surrounds ach b l e: post and these springs normally force the presser foot downwardly. The n'esser-foot has an upturned toe and the discs pass underneath this presser foot which yieldingly clamps the discs against the bed and holds said discs from movement back with the feed slide as it returns to receive another disc from beneath the stack.

Also mounted on the bar 68 is a retain i dog 71. Said dog ispivoted to the bar 8 and a spring 72 normally holds the free end of the dog pressed downward toward the bed.

As clearly shown in Fig. 5 the disc fed from beneath the stack holde step by st p until it is delivered to the fornn die of t punch press. It is held in proper position f. the punch by this retaining dog 71. After the cap has been cut from the blank and formed, then the ring of waste material is fed from the die by means of the end feed fingers on the feed slide, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The operation of the machine to be apparent from the above detailed description. The discs from which the caps are to be formed are placed in the stack holder and are forcibly withdrawn one at a time by the suction cup from the stack holder. As these discs are carried by the threaded ends of the supporting dogs they will be properly heated or bent-- so as to break the suction between the lowermost disc and the is thought next adjacent disc and these threaded ends will also separate the discs so as to insure that only one disc at a time will be fed from the stack holder onto the supporting bed. The feed slide then moves forward carrying the disc one step toward the punch and this step movement of the feed slide moves the disc beneath the presser foot which yieldingly clamps said disc and holds the same while the feed slide returns for the next disc T he feed fingers then take up the else and feed it another step and so on until it is delivered to the press. These same feed fingers will remove the scrap ring from the press after the metal has been cut and the cap fo med.

It is obvious that minor Cil211 1; in the details of construction and the arrangeniient of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by liet ers Patent, is

1. The combination of a stack holder having yielding spaced dogs for supporting stacked blanks, said dogs having the supporting faces thereof provided with inclined threads arranged so as to be successively engaged by the blanks as they are withdrawn from the stack holder, and means for forcibly withdrawing the lowermost blank past said threads.

2. The combination of a stack holder having groups of yielding spaced dogs for supporting stacked blanks, said dogs having the supporting faces thereof provided with inclined threads arranged in alignment and so that said threads are successively engaged by the blanks as they are n ithdrawn from the stack holder. and means for forcibly wi; drawing the lowermost blank past s threaded faces.

3. The combination of a stack holder having yielding spaced dogs for supporting stacked blanks, said dogs having the supporting faces thereof provided with inclined threads arranged so as to be successively engaged by the blanks as they are withdrawn from the stack holder, means for forcibly withdrawing the lowermost blank past the threaded faces including a suction cup, a re ciprocating plunger carrying said suction cup, and valve controlled vacuum creating means for said cup.

4. The combination of a stack holder including a supporting base having an opening therethrough through which the stack is adapted to pass,

a series of dogs pivotally supported on the outer face of said base, yielding means for pressing said dogs inwardly, the lower ends of said dogs being extended beneath the supporting base and into the path of the stack for supporting the stack, the supporting faces of said dogs having an inclined rib, and means for forcibly withdrawing the lowermost blank past said ribbed faces.

5. The combination of a stack holder including a supporting base having an opening therethrough through which the stack is adapted to pass, a series of dogs pivotally supported on the outer face of said base, yielding means for pressing said dogs inwardly, the lower ends of said dogs being extended beneath the supporting base and into the path of the stack for supporting the stack, the supporting faces of said dogs having an inclined rib, a suction cup, a plunger carrying said suction cup, a suction creating means associated therewith whereby said cup may be caused to'engage the lowermost blank in the stack and forcibly withdraw said blank past the ribbed. faces.

6. T he combination of a stack holder for metal blanks, a supporting bed beneath the stack holder, means for withdrawing the metal blank from the stack holder on to the supporting bed, spaced reciprocating feed bars movable along the bed and between which said blanks are positioned, yielding fingers carried by the fed bars and adapted to engage the blanks, and a yielding presser foot beneath which the blanks are moved by the feed fingers, said yielding prcsser footoperating to retain the blanks when the feed lingers are retracted.

7. The combination of a stack holder for metal blanks, a supporting bed beneath the stack holder, means for withdrawing the metal blank from the stack holder on to the supporting bed, spaced reciprocating feed bars movable along the bed and between which said blanks are positioned, yielding fingers carried by the feed bars and adapted to engage the blanks, a yielding presser foot beneath which the blanks are moved by the feed fingers, said yielding presser foot operating to retain the blanks when the feed lingers are retracted, and means disposed between the l ed and the stack holder for direct ing the blanks on to the bed between the feed bars,

8. The combination of a stack holder for metal blanks, a supporting bed beneath the stack holder, means for withdrawing the metal blank from the stock holder on to the supporting bed, and means for feeding the blank along the bed to a forming punch including reciprocating feed bars for engaging and moving the blanks step by step along the bed to the forming punch and for removing the waste material of the blank from beneath the punch.

9. The combination of a stack holder for metal blanks, a supporting bed beneath the stack holder, means for withdrawing the metal blank from the stack holder on to the supporting bed, and means for feeding the blank along the bed to a forming punch including reciprocating feed bars for engaging and moving the blanks step by step along the bed to the forming punch and for removing the Waste material of the blank from beneath the punch, and a yielding presser foot benoath which the blanks are fed from the stack holder to the forming punch.

10. The combination of a stack holder for metal blanks, a supporting bed beneath the stack holder, means for Withdrawing the metal blank from the stack holder on to the supporting bed, means for feeding the blank along the bed to a forming punch including reciprocating feed bars for engaging and moving the blanks step by step along the bed to the forming punch and for removing the Waste material of the blank from beneath the punch, a yielding presser foot beneath which the blanks are fed from the stack holder to the forming punch, and a retaining dog for holding said blanks positioned for the forming punch.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my slgnature.

WALTER KOVVAL. 

